hives for 9 months

[MeganMarie333]

I have had a problem with hives since august of '07. i get them from head to toe and i have them just about 24/7. i have been on many combinations of med's like Doxepin, Allegra, Zantac, Hydroxyz and a few others i cant think of. the hives start out as little red marks but then get larger and turn to welts. Also sometimes my face will start to get the welts then my face will swell like someone with seafood allergies. sometimes they get so pig they cover my whole leg or arm. Benadryl has stopped working for them and i now don't know what to take to releave some of the itching. i have been to many doctors for this and the onlything that seems to work right away is Prednasone. i have gone threw my room and the house and cleaned everything to see if it was some kinf of mold and nothing has changed. I have tried to figure out if something in my daily life has changed and there is nothing i can think of that has changed except that i got a new bed frame that was my great grandmothers which has some lead pant on it but the doctors insist thats got nothing to do with it. i would really appreciate it if someone knew anything that might be causing this like something to be tested for and also if you know something that will releave the itching even just a little.

[MeganMarie333]

Thanks for the suggestions i will look into "Elisa/ACT" testing. Also i have been keeping a log of when i break out and i have found that i start breaking out two or 3 days before my period and usually last about a week and a half after. Also i have noticed that since the hives have started my periods are regular. It can be anywhere between 2 weeks and 2 months between them and they last anywhere from a day and a half to 8 days. Im going to keep login these things and see if i notice any other things that may be associated with it.

[PlateletGal]

There is a lab called "Elisa/ACT" that can do allergy testing with blood only. They can check for allergies to foods, food additives & colorings, molds, environmental toxins, toxic metals, herbs, medications, pet dander, etc. However, your insurance may or may not cover the testing. My insurance did pay for the testing. The lab has a website if you are interested... you can find them via google.